Air-brake system



J. H. HANL ON. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. M. 1920.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w ZYWMM MM JLH- H'ANLON. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1920.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- long grade or when approaching JOHN H. HANLON, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 15, 1922.

Application filed November 19, 1920. Serial No. 425,208.

'1 0 all w 710m it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. HANLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, county of Middlesex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air- Brake Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to air brake systems and has for its particular object a single four-position valve which will perform the functions now performed by the two-angle valves located at each end of the car and the shut-off valve in the pipe leading from the train pipe to the triple valve. lVhile my present invention makes it possible to employ one valve in place of the three valves heretofore used and therefore results in considerable economy in equipment and operation, the greatest advantage resulting from the invention lies in the increased safety of operation.

As is well known to those skilled in this art, it is, at the present time, customary to place an angle valve in the train pipe at each end of the car in a position where it is readily accessible to theworkmen who couple and uncouple cars, and also to a person standing on the platform of passenger cars or on the draft rigging of freight cars. One of the chief causes of accidents, due to the failure of air brakes, has been that these angle valves have sometimes been closed, either by the carelessness of the workmen in making up the train or by some unauthorized person who has been riding on the platform or draft rigging. The danger resulting from the closing of an angle valve without the knowledge of the locomotive engineer is a very serious one; for instance, in making up a train, the workmen may forget to turn one of the angle cocks, thereby preventing the operation of the brakes on all of the cars in the rear of the angle cock which has been turned. The engineer, in testing his brakes, may be misled by the fact that the brakes on the front part of the train are working and not discover that the brakes on the back of the train are not working. Under these circumstances, when a condition arises where he requires the full braking power of the train, as for instance, on starting down a a block him, an accident signal which is set against Likewise, serious is almost certain to occur.

accidents have resulted recently because a tramp or other unauthorized person riding on an express train has closed an angle valve, expecting a leaky hose connection in the rear of the angle valve to release the pressure and set the brakes. nections have failed to leak and, therefore the train hasnot stopped, the locomotive engineer being then deprived of the full braking power when it became necessaryfor him to stop brake system, ing my invention, is subject objections or dangers.

Furthermore, at the present time, a car which has a broken train pipe, an accident which not infrequently happens, must be placed at the rear end of the trainand operated without air brakes. My present .invention permits such a car to retain its po: sition in the center interfere with the operation of the brakes including the valve embody to none of these on the cars at the rear of the car with the.

broken train pipe.

Other advantages, such as greater ience in coupling and uncoupling cars, also be apparent in my invention.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will-be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig.

conven- 1 1s a diagram of an air brake system embodying the invention.

Fig. 2' is a section of my improved train pipe valve. v

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. a is a section on line 4; l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the handle and notch plate therefor.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the position of the parts and of the ports and handle when the valve is in position No. 1 which is the normal running position of the valve.

Fig. 7 is a figure corresponding to Figure 6 but showing the parts in position No. 2 which is the position occupied by the valve on a dead car placed at the rear of the train.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the parts in the position occupied by car located in the middle of the train.

Fig. 9 is a figure similar to Figure 6 showing the parts in position i which is the position occupied by the valve on the last of the train and does not position 3, this being the the valve on a dead In such cases, the hose conhis train suddenly. The air I Will car of the train or on a train carrying dead cars at the rear end.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularlyto Figure 1, at A is shown a train pipe, at B a hose coupling, at C the branch pipe leading to the triple valve D and through the triple valve to the auxiliary air reservoir E. at F is shown the brake cylinder and at G the release valve on the auX- iliary reservoir. The valve embodying my invention is designated ll in this figure and is located at the junction of the train pipe and the branch pipe C leading to the triple valve. It will be seen that no angle cocks between the train pip-sand the hose couplings B, B are employed. It will be understood that the front end of the train is at the right of Figure 1 and the rear end at the left. The valve embodying my invention comprises a body 11 having three screwthreaded branches 12, 13 and 14lfor connection respectively to the front and rear parts of the train pipe and to the branch C lead ing to the triple valve. The valve is preferably constructed so that it may be inverted as shown in the drawings, i. e., vill have its handle 15 on the bottom, and the cap 16 which closes the casing on the top. The movable member comprises a frusto conical plug 17 received within a stationary bush: ing 18 secured in the body 11 of the valve. The bushing is preferably held in place by a set-screw 19. At 20 is shown a spring one end of which rests against the plug 1? and the other end of which rests against the cap 16. This serves to hold the plug in air tight contact with the bushing 18. The bod of the valve has in addition to the straight passage 2O through it, an upper passage 21. (see Figure 4), which has a branch or port 22 leading to the branch pipe C. Through the side of the bushing 18 and valve body 11 is a bleed port 23 leading to the atmosphere, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereafter. This bleed port 23 is in the lower part of the valve on a level. with the main passage 20. At 2-1 is another bleed port also leading to the atmosphere, this port bein located in the upper part of the body on a level with the upper passage 21. The valve plug is provided with a lower main passage and main port 25 straight through the plug, as shown in Figure 3, and an upper three-way passage 26, as shown in Figure 4. There are also lower and upa h 1 4- e per bleed passages 2! and 28 lespectively. It will be noticed from Figure 2 that the port 27 and port 23 are at different levels so that they will register with each other in any position of the valve plug.

The'functions and operation of the respective ports and passages will be fully understood by the examination 0;? Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, which show the various positions of the parts under the different conditions of service which are actually likely to arise.

in Figure 6, th :e is shown the position occupied by the valve when employed on a car in the middle of the train. This may be termed the normal position of the valve. At this time, the port 25 is open so that there is a free flow through the train pipe to the car in the rear. The upper port 26 is also open so that there is a tree flow through port 21 to the ear in the rear supplementing the flow through port 25 and also a flow through the branch pipe C, thereby charging the auxiliary tank through the triple valve. 1. t this time, the handle 15 oi the valve is at right angles to the train pipe and its end engages notch in the body 11.

In Figure 7, there is shown position 2 ot' the valve, the handle being then toward the front of the train and engaging notch 36 in the body 1.1. At this time, the train pipe is closed because the port 25 is at right angles to the train pipe and the port 26 is also at right angles to the train pipe with the branch port to the rear. At this time, the lower bleed port is connected through the port 25 with the bleed port 27 in the plug 17 so that there is free access from the train pipe at the front of the valve to the outer This is the position occupied by the valve when the car on which it is placed is a dead car at the rear of the train; that is to say, when there is some trouble with the brakes on this car so that it is desirable that there should be no pressure in the auxiliary tank and the brakes cannot be user. lVhen in this position, the release valve G on the auxiliary tank will be opened so that there will be no pressure in the tank. This position of the valve will be used when the train pipe has been broken at the rear of the valve.

in position 3 (see Figure 8) the handle 15 points in the direction of the branch pipe and the other end is in notch .t this time, port 25 is lengthwise of the train pipe so that the train pipe is open, but the upper port 26 is in the position shown in the figure, thereby preventing any flow from the train pipe through the triple valve to the auxiliary tank. Full flow through the train pipe is thus permitted, but the auxiliary tank is cut off. The upper bleed port 28 in the plug registers with the port 24 in the valve casing so that the branch pipe is connected to the outer air. The lower bleed port- 27 is ineffective at this time.

This position is the one employed on a dead car in the middle of the train, the train pipe being intact. As soon as the valve is set in this position, it permits free flow through the valve to the cars in the rear of the train, but the upper bleed port 28 immediately sets the brakes on the car which is notice to the engineer that the valve has been turned. Thereafter, to release the brakes, it is necessary to open the release valve G on the auxiliary tank. Since the release valve of the auxiliary tank is ordinarily placed on the opposite side of the car from the junction between the branch pipes and the train pipe, at which point the valve embodying my invention is located, it is impossible for any unauthorized person who can reach the valve to release the brakes after setting them, because to do so it would be necessary for him to go to the other side of the train to reach the release valve.

In position 4, the handle of the valve is toward the rear and the other end of the handle is in notch 38. At this time, the lower main port 25 is crosswise of the train pipe and the upper main port 26 is also crosswise of the train pipe but with its branch forward, thereby closing the train pipe in the 'rear, but connecting the branch pipe C with the train pipe. In this position, the upper bleed ports are ineffective but the lower bleed ports are connected to the outer air so that any pressure in the rear of the train is relieved. This is the position which the valve will normally occupy on the rear car of a train, the brakes of this car being in working condition. It will be seen that the auxiliary tank of this valve is being supplied with air from the train pipe but that the train pipe is closed so that air cannot escape to the rear.

In addition to the advantages pointed out before, this valve has other important features. In case a train pipe on passenger or express equipment is broken on a car in the middle of the train, the break being at a point forward of the valve, the brakes on the car may still be employed by crossing the air brake hose and the signal pipe hose at the front end of the car on which the broken pipe is located, connecting the air brake hose to the signal hose at the rear end of the last car, and setting the valve in position No. 2, at which time, the car and those behind it are supplied with air through the signal hose, the flow being reversed so that it comes fromthe rear instead of from the front. The brakes on all the cars can then be operated as usual.

In case the break in the train pipe occurs at the rear of the valve similar procedure is adopted. The air brake and signal hose are crossed both at the front and at the rear of the car and the valve set in any position. The brakes on this car will be inoperative, but the brakes on the cars at the rear will be operative as usual.

Another important advantage of this valve is that it is much less likely to freeze than valves heretofore constructed, since the space 39 at the base of the plug 17 is above the plug instead of below it, and therefore does not fill with water from condensation and freeze, as is the case with angle valves of ordinary construction.

Another important advantage lies in the fact that the valve locks itself in position by reason of the peculiar position and construction of the valve handle, This prevents accidental displacement of the valve as has heretofore not infrequently-occurred. As is Well known to those skilled in this art, the swinging of the coupling chains so that they strike the handle of the angle valve, will sometimes hit the handle of an angle valve and partly close the valve.

. The valve embodying my inventionmay be substituted on cars already furnished with angle valves as well as on new equipment, and will replace all three valves.

What I claim is 1. In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a valve-at the junction of said train pipe and said branchpipe, said valve having two ports through the movable member of said valve, one of said ports being a two-way port and the other of said ports being a three-way, said ports being one above the other.

2. In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, avalv-e at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, said valve having two ports through the movable member ofsaid valve, one of said ports being a straight port through said movable valve member, and the other of said ports being a three-way passage.

In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a valve at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, said valve having two ports through the movable member of said valve, one of said ports being a straight port-through said movable valve member, and the other of said ports being a three-way passage, the

straight portion of which is parallel with the said. straight port.

4. In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a valve at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, saidvalve having two ports through the movable member of said valve, one of said ports being a straight port through said movable valve member, and the other of said ports being a three-way passage, the straight portion of which is parallel with the straight port and located above it.

5. In combination with the train pipe and i the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a valve at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, having a body with a portion for connection with the branch pipe in a different plane from the connections for the train pipe, the movable member of said valve having tWo ports through it, one of said ports being in the plane of the train pipe connections and capable of connecting them, and the other of said ports being in the plane of the branch pipe and capable of connecting all three connections.

(3. In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a three-Way valve at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, said valve having a bleed port in the body and another in the movable valve member, capable of connecting the branch pipe to the atmosphere when the branch pipe is not connected With the train pipe.

7. In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a valve at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, said valve having two main ports mee -e1 through the movable member of said valve, one of said main ports being a straight port through said movable valve member, and the other off said main ports being a three-Way passage, there being bleed ports, one in the movable valve member connecting with the straight passage through it, and the other in the valve body leading to the atn'iosphere, so that When the straight main port is crosswise ot' the train pipe the portion of the train pipe at the rear of the valve will be open to the atmosphere.

8. In combination with the train pipe and the branch pipe leading to the auxiliary tank of an air brake system, a three-Way valve at the junction of said train pipe and said branch pipe, said valve being of the plug type and inverted and having the spring space above the plug of the valve.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

JOHN H. HANLON. 

